My 30 Prompts OTF Challenge
by Lacrimula Falsa
Summary: Summary: I took the prompts from the "30 Day OTP Challenge" on deviantART and filled them for my One True Friendship, Data and Deanna. So same prompts, friendship instead of romance. One-shots, some AU.


**My 30 Prompts OTF Challenge  
><strong>_by Lacrimula Falsa_

_**Disclaimer:**_ All praise the Great Bird of the Galaxy. I do not own any part of the StarTrek franchise/universe. Written to cure my writer's block, not to make profit.

_Summary: _I took the prompts from the "30 Day OTP Challenge" on deviantART and filled them for my One True Friendship, Data and Deanna. So same prompts, friendship instead of romance. One-shots, some AU.

_A/N:_ I've recently come across some very nice fills for the "30 Day OTP Challenge" and I liked the prompts immensely.

However, I have no One True Pairing in this fandom, so I decided fill these prompts for my One True _Friendship_ instead, which is the wonderful and heart-warming friendship between Data and Deanna.

The link to the challenge (on deviantART) is in my profile.

I cannot promise a prompt a day, but I'll do all the prompts (eventually). (And should anyone feel inspired to do their own "OTF Challenge", I'd love to read it.)

* * *

><p><strong>Giving Strength<br>**[01 - Holding hands]

The first thing that she noticed was the pain.  
>A hot, searing pain in her left leg, from the knee all the way up to her waist.<p>

The second thing Deanna Troi noticed upon her return to consciousness was that she couldn't see a thing.

When she felt concrete-like material under her palm and a hand holding hers, she remembered…

* * *

><p><em>It had been an easy-going mission. They had just left the signing ceremony for the treaty with the Alurians* and were now headed for their temporary planet-side quarters.<em>

"_You know Will, I think you should wear this more often. Feathers look good on you."_

"_Well, at least I got to wear a shirt." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Poor Data, he looked like he wanted to run the entire time."_

"_Yes, I was wondering why."_

"_Modesty subroutine." Geordi LaForge chimed in. _

_The counsellor looked over her shoulder at the android walking slightly behind them._

"_But Data, you're perfectly dressed! And your physique is certainly not one to be self-conscious about."_

"_I am certainly not _perfectly dressed, _counsellor. That would require wearing more than short trousers and floral adornments." Data sounded almost scandalised._

_She couldn't quite help smiling widely. "Whatever you say Data."_

_A short while after that they split up, Geordi and Will heading back to their rooms._

_Data had agreed to accompany her to a local museum, though he insisted on changing first. Deanna was quite happy to stay in her flowery dress._

_(…)_

"_Beautiful, isn't it."_

"_The paintings are very aesthetically pleasing."_

"_Not the paintings…well, those too, but…those masks over there."_

"_Ah. Alurian burial masks."_

"_Oh. Well, I thought they were decorative."_

"_They are not. They are usually placed over the face of the deceased before their body is buried."_

"_I think it's impossible to be in a museum with you and _not_ learn something new."_

_(…)_

_They had been halfway trough the last part of the exhibition when Data suddenly grasped Deanna's hand and pulled her into a side alcove._

_The counsellor, surprised, went without noticeable resistance._

_The android put a finger to his lips._

"_Data, what's going on?" she whispered._

"_Counsellor, we have to leave. I believe that there are…"_

_That was when there was a loud bang and the walls and ceiling came tumbling down._

* * *

><p>It explained everything. Why she couldn't see anything. The pain in her leg and the hand clutching hers.<br>The dusty stale air burning in her lungs.

The building had collapsed on them.

"Data?" Speaking instantly made her cough.

There was no reply safe an ominous and rather worrying cracking sound from the ruined museum around her.

"DATA!" An intense coughing fit brought tears to the counsellor's eyes.

Still no vocal reply, but it felt like the hand holding hers tightened slightly.

Relief flooding her, she squeezed back.

Deanna didn't know how long she lay there, her leg throbbing painfully, the air feeling thicker and thicker with every minute. Soon enough it was getting hard to breath at all.

No matter how many deep gulping breaths she took, she just couldn't get enough oxygen.

She could feel the panic settling into her labouring chest, her sluggish brain on alert, fear starting to claw at hear heart.

The only thing providing a little bit of calm was the hand still holding hers tightly, never once letting go and squeezing hers just slightly every so often.

Giving her strength.

If the counsellor hadn't felt so dazed by the lack of air, she might have wondered why Data with his superhuman strength hadn't pushed free of the rubble.

She gathered the last of her fading strength, giving the android's hand a hard squeeze, the edges of her vision greying, flecks of light starting to dance before her eyes.

Then the blackness swallowed her.

* * *

><p>"Deanna."<p>

"Counsellor Troi!"

"Come on, Dee, open your eyes."

The voices sounded far away, and she was just so _tired._

"Deanna, can you hear me?"

_Just five minutes…_

"DEANNA!"

The counsellor felt a spike of fear touching her empathic senses.

"Will?" It was hard to speak around the strange thing in her mouth and her throat felt sore.

"Oh thank god!"

With a great effort, she forced her eyes open.  
>When her vision cleared, she saw Beverly kneeling over her, scanning her with a tricorder. Will was standing beside the doctor.<p>

The relief she felt from both almost made her smile.

_Good to have you back, Imzadi._

The telepathic contact surprised and warmed her in equal measure.

_Good to be back._

"Well Counsellor, you gave us quite the scare there." Beverly was smiling, even trough her tone was stern.

"Sorry." It came out garbled and hoarse.

Frowning, Deanna put a hand to her face. The thing over her face was some kind of mask with a small tube reaching into her mouth.

"An old-fashioned oxygen mask." The doctor explained. "One of the museum exhibits, actually. The rescue workers found nothing else in their hurry."

The thing was pulled of her face and a hypospray was pressed to her neck.

"I'm not complaining." Her voice was still hoarse, but she already felt the dizziness fading.

Now somewhat more clear-headed, she felt something cool and smooth wrapped around here right hand.  
>When Deanna turned her head, she saw that she was still holding Data's hand.<p>

Just his hand.

The hand had been ripped of the body at the wrist, some wires and a part of the joint visible.

"Oh my god, Data!"

"I am here counsellor." A very familiar voice answered from somewhere to her left.

Now half sitting up, she turned her head just as Data, sans his left hand and visibly worse for wear, walked into her field of vision.

"Data, what happened?"

"There was an attack by a group of religious fanatics on the museum." Will answered for him. "Data noticed one of the bombs they had placed. It was inside the walls, no one else than him and maybe Geordi would have noticed. It went off before you could get out though. Seems they detonated it when they figured out that someone spotted it. We're still not sure how they knew."

"I was unfortunately unable to rescue you immediately. I managed to free myself, however I lost my hand in the process and was unable to move the rubble off of you without it." Data looked and sounded deeply apologetic.

Deanna just smiled at him understandingly.

"He went to get help instead." Beverly took over the narrative. "We were able to rescue everyone on time, thankfully. Some concussions and broken bones, but nothing too serious. Your leg is broken, so don't move it."

"Don't worry, I …Data, what are you doing?"

"I am attempting to remove my hand from yours. I will have to re-attach it to my arm once I am back aboard the Enterprise."

"Oh."

And the situation was just so surreal, Data kneeling beside her holding his own hand that was still holding hers while she was sitting on a stretcher, the ruins of a building all around them.

Suddenly all the physical strain and the relief and adrenaline and the feelings from everyone around her just overwhelmed her and the counsellor was laughing almost hysterically, leaning her forehead against the android's shoulder.

He patted her back consolingly, shooting the doctor a helpless look. Beverly waved him of, telling him it was normal after that kind of stress.

* * *

><p>Much later, when they are all back aboard and Deanna's leg has long since been healed, there's a ring at her door.<p>

When she calls out for the person to enter, it's Data, holding a bouquet of blue and lilac flowers.

"Data. Do you need something?"

"I was told it is customary among humans to gift someone that is recovering with flowers. Even if you are thankfully already healed, I felt it was appropriate."

She smiles at that, because it's just like Data to be this thoughtful.

"Thank you Data. They're lovely."

"Do not mention it."

When she turns back to him after replicating a vase, he looks almost…uncomfortable.

"Data?"

"I believe I should apologise. I was unable to rescue you in a timely fashion."

The counsellor shakes her head sadly. It's almost ridiculous how her friend blames himself for everything sometimes.

"You got help. I'd like to think that was more important. I know you would have freed me immediately if you could."

"That is true. However, I consider you one of my best friends. As a friend, I should not have left you, but I did."

Deanna knows -because she _is_ ship's counsellor after all- that failing a friend is something Data is terrified of. (And he _is_ terrified, no matter how much he would protest the notion.)

So she takes his hands - both attached to the rest of his body this time - and tries to project as much warmth and friendship as possible.

"Data, you left me because you had to. You saved my life."

His eyes become less hollow at that, but he still looks doubtful.

"Regardless, I should have been…there for you. I was not."

Looking down at their joined hands and running a finger over the knuckles, Deanna remembers the left hand holding hers in the dark. Never mind that the hand squeezing hers had only been her imagination. It had given her what she needed most, lying buried under a collapsed building. Something to hold on to.

"Oh Data. You where there for me the whole time."

_Or at least, a part of you was…_

* * *

><p><em>AN: _First prompt, here goes. I don't usually write in the present tense but somehow the last part just felt weird otherwise. Hope you enjoyed.

*The Alurians are a race I completely made up. Any and all similarities to canon elements or other works, if there are any, are completely coincidental.


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